Checking in on D.C.’s federal workers

Hi everyone,

It's been a monstrous week in many respects, and feels distinctly like the D.C. weather gods are in cahoots with darker forces. (This is perhaps a dramatic take – it wasn't as cold as I feared, but it still didn't feel like coincidence).

It's important in such times to take care of yourself and the people around you: Go on a little walk, notice how the light looks hitting a patch of snow, cook a big batch of chili (we have a recipe for that), check in on friends. It's also important to absorb news and information in chunks you can handle – not everything has to be known and understood today.

That in mind, we've prepared what we hope is a digestible newsletter for you, which grapples with some of the most pressing issues the new administration presents for D.C., but also acknowledges that some things remain unchanged: D.C. is still D.C., we're all still here, and there are still some cool events happening this weekend.

Scroll on to read reactions from federal workers to the news of the week, to hear from Commanders fans about the beauty of this season, to find out the latest on Trump's pardon of two D.C. police officers convicted of wrongdoing in a Black man's death, and more.

See you next week,

Natalie Delgadillo

Local federal workers react to Trump's new work policies

Federal employee Patrick Scurlock says Wednesday was a catastrophe following announcements of office closures and mandated reporting of anyone who continues to carry out work related to DEI. “People were sobbing in the halls. It was upsetting to see,” he says.

Trump pardons two D.C. police officers convicted in 2020 fatal chase

On Wednesday night, Trump granted clemency to D.C. Police Officer Terence Sutton and Lieutenant Andrew Zabavsky for their convictions stemming from the 2020 police chase and subsequent death of Karon Hylton-Brown, a 20-year-old Black man.

Study shows Mamatoto Village’s culturally relevant care can improve birth outcomes for Black people

The Mothers Rising Home Visiting Program provides individualized and culturally relevant care to Black moms in D.C. who qualify for Medicaid. It includes a host of service providers such as doulas, birth workers, and lactation specialists who literally meet mothers where they are as they prepare for birth and navigate motherhood. A Georgetown study found babies in Mamatoto’s program were born closer to the recommended 39-40 weeks compared to babies who didn’t receive the program’s care.

Ask A D.C. Native: How has your neighborhood changed over the years?

Christina Sturdivant Sani remembers a River Terrace that felt profoundly safe and comforting: "In the summers, we’d have block parties where each household would bring a dish; parents would gossip with their fellow neighbors and kids would get drenched by open fire hydrants. Parents, especially those who had to work late and weekend shifts, felt their kids were safe within the confines of the community — at least while the street lights were on."

Things have changed for her Ward 7 neighborhood in the years since, and that change has felt complicated, she writes.

14 things to do around D.C. this weekend

Celebrate the slightly warmer weather (and resist your seasonal/inauguration-related depression) by getting out this weekend. Head to an artist talk at Culture House, celebrate the Lunar New Year at the Kennedy Center, or find some humor in dark times at Dukem's comedy night.

The Commanders are doing ... well?

After literal decades of struggle, toil, suffering, and disappointments, Commanders fans have something major to celebrate this year. It's been a transformational season for Washington's football team, which escaped Dan Snyder's clutches and put together a whole new organization that has achieved a winning record (14-5) and also become downright fun to watch. Tickets to this weekend's matchup against the Eagles have reached astronomical prices, and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has quickly become one of the most popular players in the league.

We asked local fans to send in their reflections, celebrations, and memories of the team in good and bad years, as well as hopes for the future. Here's what you had to say.

"I had season tickets for 15 years. Gave them up because no one wanted to go to games with me anymore and honestly, I didn't want to go either. But I remember going out to some hotel ballroom in Rockville to by T-shirts when they won the Super Bowl in 1992. My NFL fan days are probably over but I have hometown pride and I am happy for what seems like a relatively decent owner and team culture." – Alison

"As someone who wasn't around during the heydays of the late '80s or early '90s, it is amazing to see this team succeed. The way the organization is run from top to bottom is really well done, and it's great to have a quarterback in Jayden Daniels who brings so much excitement and hope to a city that needs it, especially at this moment. It's nice to see this team being talked about for the right reasons, not the wrong ones." – Josh

"Parents grew up in the area going on dates at RFK and loving the Diesel and Darrell Green! Born in '98 so I didn’t have much to cheer for. Now I’ve got friends and family texting me asking how I’m doing and it’s the most fun I’ve had watching this team ever!!" - Eli

Last time they went to the Superbowl, I was a child. Now I am a grown ass woman who has to watch them play off against my husband's favorite team, the Eagles, and he insists they deserve to win, just because, even though they have been to the Superbowl more than once recently, and without any regard to the fact that the Commanders are both long-suffering AND fantastic (and because how great is it to give Dan Synder the finger?!) It is maddening! - Kim

"Feel a bit like a kid again to have a good WFT (I remember the '87 and '91 Super Bowls, especially the Bandwagon team). Even better is to see my dad, in his 70s and also a lifelong fan, happy again about football. Bought him his first Commanders hat for Christmas." - @fitzinmd.bsky.social

Here's some news you may have missed this week:

• Employees at five upscale D.C. restaurants, including Le Diplomate and St. Anselm, are moving to unionize. [Washingtonian]
• D.C. has joined a number of states in suing the Trump administration over the president's executive order on birthright citizenship. But city leaders don't want to talk about it – reflecting their more muted, cautious approach to fighting Trump in his second term. [Post]
• In case you didn't find the events of this week distressing enough, Elon Musk is angling to purchase the Line hotel in Adams Morgan. [Eater]
• In more heartening news, a group of Adams Morgan neighbors has started an online petition to oppose the buy. [Axios]
• A look at some of the most exciting music coming out of the D.C. area in the last year. [Worthwhiler]
• Shameka Hayes, a resident at the D.C. Jail, is beginning her second term as an ANC Commissioner. [Informer]
• The best doro wat in D.C., according to Bon Appetit. [Bon Appetit]
• Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde's perfect day in D.C. [Post]
• MPD has been investigating a specialized unit meant to curb violent crime. Officers are accused of seizing illegal guns, but failing to arrest the people who owned them. [WCP]
• Schools in the D.C. area are preparing for the effects of Trump's executive orders, including reversing a 13-year restriction on raids at schools and churches. [WTOP]
• See the 2025 list of James Beard semifinalists from D.C. [Axios]
• Read a Q&A with an advocate behind D.C.'s law requiring more closed captioning in theaters. [Substack]

Your Civics Download

You’ll find this handy guide to public meetings at the bottom of every edition of The 51st. We’ll refine and improve along the way, so if you think we’re missing resources, please let us know!

Buckle up for this one friends – it's a long one.

• It’s performance oversight season at the Wilson Building! This is the time of year — pre-budget season — when government agencies are called to testify before the D.C. Council’s various committees. This may seem like the typical humdrum operations of government bureaucracy, but performance oversight is one of the council’s most important responsibilities; these hearings can shape what agencies get (or don’t get) money and how they spend it. You can tune into any of these on the council’s website, and you can also usually find the uploaded written testimony of the agencies that are called to testify. 
• Also at the council next week: on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 12 p.m., the D.C. Council will host a public hearing on the expulsion of Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White. White, who was recently sworn into his third term, faces federal bribery charges. You can follow the hearing at the council’s website. 
• The Free DC Campaign is leading a series of Ward-based meetings over the month focused on protecting D.C.’s autonomy. On Thursday, Jan. 23 at 6:00 p.m., the Ward 8 team will meet at the Busboys and Poets in Anacostia. You can RSVP here. The Ward 1 team will gather on Friday, Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in Adams Morgan. The location is provided upon registration. The Ward 3 team will meet on Monday, Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Address is provided upon registration. The Ward 4 team will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Busboys and Poets in Takoma; you can register here. The Ward 6 team will meet on Thursday, Jan. 30. Time and location TBD. 
• On Friday, Jan. 24, from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Diáspora Pa’lante Collective DMV will be hosting a panel discussion on tenant organizing with organizers from the Woodner Tenants Union. The event will take place at the ONE DC Black Workers & Wellness Center. Childcare and food will be provided. You can RSVP here.
• On Saturday, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Rise for Democracy is hosting a teach-in at All Souls Church in Columbia Heights. Various workshops will cover: effective organizing tools, what we can learn from student and grassroots movements, and how mutual aid can link students, young people, and community members to foster collective well-being. Brunch and dinner will be provided and childcare is available. You can register here. 
• On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Defend D.C. is hosting a mass organizing meeting at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church in Southeast. Dinner will be provided at 6 p.m. and the meeting will run from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. The conversation will reflect on current threats to D.C. communities from the new president and congress, and link residents to organizing that’s already happening. There will also be break-out groups focused on specific issues and skills. Childcare will be provided. You can register here. 
• On Thursday, Jan. 30 at 1 p.m., the Mount Pleasant Library will hold a training for administering Narcan (naloxone), the opioid overdose reversal drug. Guests will learn how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose. Free Narcan and fentanyl test strips will be provided.

That's all for this week, everyone. Talk soon.

Natalie Delgadillo